He'll Come Back
by Lyra Mae Rose
Summary: "You said it yourself, this situation is similar to Enies Lobby. There was a chance that you won't come back," Zoro gestured to Robin's whole being before adding, "and yet here you are." No pairings. Just a tablespoon of Nakamaship. SPOILER FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ CH. 800!


**Hey, guys! Another one-shot! Who-hoo! This happens when the Straw-Hats finally arrive at Zou, or if you don't what the hell that is then this happens after Luffy kicked Doflamingo's ass.**

 **I forgot who recommend this story, but thank you whoever you are!**

 **O.N.E P.I.E.C.E I.S N.O.T M.I.N.E**

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After reuniting with Nami, Brook, Chopper and Momonosuke on the mysterious island called Zou and meeting its equally mysterious animal people that can talk ("COOL! CHOPPERS ARE EVERYWHERE!" " _LUFFY!_ ") the Straw-Hats were filled in to what they had missed.

While being escorted to a private room in the palace by Wanda, Nami told them of how Big Mom's crew set foot on this island and announced Sanji's wedding out of the blue, revealing the blonde cook to be part of the Vinsmoke family.

Then after all of them took a seat on the couches (or in Zoro's case, the floor) in the room, Brook informed the crew to how Sanji helped the three of them escape from Big Mom's crew and how he himself fled with them, leaving the trio in a turmoil. When the musician finished, Nami gave Luffy the note Sanji had given her earlier and waited patiently for her captain to read it.

"That's it?" Luffy asked bemusedly as the boy's eyes hovered over the handwriting again. "That's what Sanji said?"

"Mostly." Nami nodded, pulling her knees up to her chin. "Sanji-kun said that this was his own problem, so he was going to handle it alone." The girl said with a frown on her face, recalling what the blonde had told them earlier. "Oh, and he gave you his regards."

Robin's hand halted in getting some tea and the young woman blinked with a glint of nostalgia and comprehension in her eyes. But, Robin quickly regained her composure and proceeded to drink some warm tea like normal. In the corner of the room, Zoro vaguely opened his one eye.

Oblivious to the duo's silent interaction, Luffy read the note one more time before he gazed back at Nami with a bewildered expression. "And he went away, just like that?" The captain asked, holding the note tightly in his grasp.

Nami raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Like you're one to talk."

"It was truly a shock for me. Yohohoho!" Nami turned her head at the sound of Brook's almost carefree laugh. The skeleton took a quick sip of the tea Wanda had given them earlier before he added, "I didn't know that Sanji-san's part of the Vinsmoke family."

"I didn't know that bastard even _has_ a family." Zoro confessed with an almost weary tone. "I thought that old geezer back at Baratie was his old man."

"Well, whatever!" Luffy exclaimed as he folded the small paper and tucked it in his pocket. "We're going to get Sanji back!"

Upon hearing those words, Usopp nearly choked on his tea. "Wha-!? Are you serious, Luffy?" The sniper asked as he stood up and faced his captain. "Sanji's heading to Big Mom, you know!"

Luffy stared at Usopp, his face puzzled. "So what?"

" _S-So what?_ " Usopp repeated with a baffled look. "Big Mom's one of the Four Emperors, for your information!"

"Usopp's right, Luffy!" Chopper stated beside the sniper, nodding frantically at the rubber boy. "You can't just barge in there and cause havoc around the place!"

Both of them turned around at the sound of Zoro's snort. "Like that's going to stop him, Chopper." Zoro remarked, glancing at Luffy with his one eye. "You know our captain does whatever he wants."

At the fact (not opinion, since everyone knows that it's true – they've got enough scars to prove it), Luffy let out a grin and put his hands on his hips. "Shishishi!"

"But, Zoro!" Chopper shouted in fright to the unofficial first mate. "Big Mom's far beyond any enemy we've faced before!"

"I'd be disappointed if she wasn't." Zoro answered with a blank look.

Chopper grumbled, suppressing the urge to pull on his fur. "That's not what I meant! The point is, we can't anger her any further."

"Too late." Franky said, grabbing the small reindeer's attention. Franky raised an eyebrow at him before he added, "Luffy basically declared war with her on Fishman Island, remember?"

Memories of how their captain _freaking_ _challenged_ one of the Four Emperors emerged into their minds, making Chopper and Usopp lose all color from their faces and collapse on the floor like they had been hit by Perona's ghosts.

"...oh yeah." Chopper feebly said with dull eyes. "We're doomed."

"Tell Leo and the others that I'll miss them." Usopp muttered with equally dull eyes. "And, tell them to spread the news of how I saved Dressrosa."

Robin, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, let out a small giggle at the miserable pair and averted her gaze to the rubber boy. "So what are we going to do, Captain?" Robin asked with a soft smile etched on her face.

"Isn't it obvious?" Luffy smirked. The captain stood in front of his crewmates and crossed his arms before he loudly declared, "We're going to catch up with Sanji and ask him ourselves!"

A smirk slowly emerged on Zoro's face when he figured out the true meaning of what Luffy said. "In other words," Zoro said as he stood up from the floor and cracked his neck. "Set sail for Big Mom."

"I was wondering when you're going to say that." Franky grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Chopper screamed in terror at the thought of fighting Big Mom and her crew, while Usopp still laid motionless on the floor.

Nami sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why did I board this ship again?" The navigator muttered.

Luffy didn't pick up the sarcasm in her voice so he turned to her with a bright grin and said matter-of-factly, "Because, you want to make a map of the world!" Nami blinked at the abrupt reminder but soon her eyes softened at the boy as she muttered with a smile, "That's right."

But, Usopp broke the nice atmosphere by saying in a fake hoarse tone, "My I-can't-go-to-Big-Mom disease is acting up again."

"Funny." Zoro said as a tick formed on his forehead and he glared at the sniper. "My I-don't-care-I'll-drag-you-anyway syndrome just did the same thing."

Usopp quivered under the fierce glare but he quickly stood up and crossed his arms. "N-No need for that, Zoro! I-I'm packed and ready to go!" The sniper stuttered, putting up a brave font while Zoro just gave him a blank look.

"Yohohoho! This is going to be a great adventure!" Brook stated as he stood up as well. "But first, we need to find Master Nekomamushi and ask him about a few details."

Luffy nodded at the musician ("Almost forgot about that. Thanks, Brook!") and turned to face his crew. "Alright guys, we'll leave at dawn!" The captain declared once again.

Nami tilted her head at him. "Why dawn?"

"Because I'm sleepy!" Luffy grinned, making the others – excluding Robin and Zoro - sweat-drop at him.

Zoro seemed to be unfazed by the answer, as if he expected it all along. "Luffy hasn't fully recovered from his fight with Doflamingo." Zoro stated, glancing at the white bandages standing out on Luffy's skin. "He needs as much rest as he could."

Out of the corner of his eye, the swordsman could see glints of worry and concern flash in everyone's eyes and nearly all of them glanced at their captain - with Nami, Chopper and Brook's gaze being the longest. The three of them weren't there when Luffy fought with Doflamingo after all, so they didn't know what happened in detail. It was normal for them to worry.

"But, I'm okay!" Luffy reassured. "I just need meat and sleep and I'll be as good as new!"

Tension leaked out of the crew's bodies almost instantly. They didn't know how or why, but Luffy always managed to say the right things at the right time – even if he did it unknowingly.

Zoro smirked in pride, this was exactly why Luffy's his captain.

"I'll be the judge of that, Luffy." Chopper said, breaking Zoro from his thoughts.

Luffy's grin faltered and the captain had a childish pout. "But, Chopper! I'm fine!" Luffy moved his arms around to prove his point. "See? I just want to go to sleep."

Chopper shook his head at the stubborn boy. "Not until I give you a check-up. I don't know what you did this time, so I'm going to be thorough."

"You're always throw-oath!" Luffy cried out.

" _Thorough_ , Luffy. I meant, more than usual."

Luffy let out a groan. "But, why?"

"Because, I'm your doctor." Chopper said matter-of-factly. Luffy pouted at the reindeer, before he slowly sighed. "Fine..."

"Cheer up, Luffy-san. Yohohoho!" Brook said. "Let Doctor Chopper-san do his work."

Chopper's face turned slightly red and the reindeer stared at the skeleton with an embarassed yet happy look. "B-Bastard! Saying that I'm a doctor won't make me happy at all!" The reindeer said as he wiggled his arms in excitement.

"Whatever you say, Chopper." Franky chuckled before he clasped his giant hands together, grabbing everyone's attention in the process. "Alright guys, get some sleep! We're going to need all of the energy we can get to defeat Big Mom."

"Alright!" Luffy said as he quickly ran to the door. "See you guys tomorrow!"

"W-Wait, Luffy!" Chopper broke out of his excited dance and chased down the rubber boy. "I haven't given you a check-up yet!"

Nami sighed again at her crewmates' antics. "I'm going to make sure they don't get lost." The navigator said before she excused herself from the room.

"Let me show you the room, Franky-san." Brook offered the cyborg. "Wanda-san had showed me the way a few days ago, so I memorized it."

"Oh, that'd be nice!" Franky grinned gratefully at the musician. "Thanks, Brook!"

"No problem." Brook answered. Then, he took a quick glance behind him. "Would you like to come too, Zoro-san?"

"Nah, I'm good." Zoro said as he shook his hand a bit. "You two can go on ahead."

"If you say so." Brook hummed, before he escorted Franky out of the room. When the duo finally left, Zoro glanced at the other person beside him.

"What is it?" The swordsman asked calmly as he leaned on the wall. "You were quiet earlier. Well, more than usual at least."

Robin didn't say a word, her eyes facing downward instead of the first mate. The archeologist's hands curled into small fists and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm worried." Robin confessed.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at the reply. Although he didn't say it, Robin heard his unspoken question. "Sanji-kun's situation is...similar to mine." The young woman explained. "He did what I had done myself two years ago."

"What, shooting mayors?" Zoro smirked.

Robin blinked before she let out a small giggle. "No." But, Zoro's words made the archeologist recall what she had said two years ago.

 _"Then, what is your wish?" Iceberg asked his attacker._

 _Robin turned around to the mayor with an unflinching determination in her eyes. "That excluding me, all of the other Straw-Hat Pirates would be allowed to leave this island safely!"_

 _Iceberg's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "And as long as you have that, you don't care what happens to the rest of the world?!"_

 _Robin didn't hesitate for a second to answer, "I don't."_

Robin pursed her lips and her hands curled into small fists. At that time, that was the only thing that mattered to her. Luffy gave Robin a second chance in life. He gave her a new purpose to live. And, the Straw-Hats treated her like family, they made her feel like she's home – like she belongs here with them.

Robin didn't know how affection starved she was until she joined the Straw-Hats. She felt like she couldn't live without their constant craziness around her. After twenty years of surviving, Robin finally felt like she was actually _living_. She was finally doing what her mother had requested her to do. Her mother wanted her to live. Not survive, but live. ( _"Live, Robin!"_ )

Robin didn't know it, but she always let her guard down around the Straw-Hats. She didn't need fake smiles or forced laughs, unlike her past experience with other pirate crews. Luffy wouldn't even _hear_ of it. He wanted none of those on board his ship. So, Robin simply obeyed her captain – without herself even knowing it.

All of these feelings ( _affection, care, **love**_ ) were too overwhelming for Robin, since she hadn't felt them for so long. In fact, she never felt them in her life. Her mother left her home island early and she never met her father. The children would always make fun of her too. She had been alone until Saul came to her homeland.

So, Robin cherished these new feelings. She kept them close to her heart and she started to enjoy the not-so-normal adventures with the Straw-Hat Pirates. Robin didn't know when, but eventually another new feeling blossomed in her chest.

Protective.

She was protective of the Straw-Hats.

Robin was shocked, to say the least. She had never felt this feeling before. In the past, she didn't have someone or something to protect. The villagers hated her, the children called her a monster, her own family thought she was good enough to be a slave. She had absolutely nothing to protect. But right now, she did.

Robin had a new resolve. She wanted to protect the Straw-Hats, no matter what. She finally had something to hold dear, so she wasn't going to let it go.

But when the CP9 contacted her to help them at Water 7, Robin felt every fiber in her body tremble at what they had said. And for the first time, Robin felt true fear. Not of what was going to happen to her, she could care less about that.

No, it was fear that she would lose something precious ( _again_ ). CP9's plan would probably destroy the island they were on, the island her family was on. Not everyone would make it, herself included.

Despite that, Robin had accepted the offer. But, she gave CP9 one condition in return for her cooperation. She didn't mind becoming a assassin. She didn't mind being targeted again. She didn't mind the torture that was waiting for her at Enies Lobby.

As long as the Straw-Hats could escape all of this safely, then Robin wouldn't mind even if she would never see daylight again.

That was Robin had done for the sake of her family two years ago. And now, Sanji was doing almost the exact same thing.

"Out of everyone here, I understand his reason the best." Robin mumbled with a frown as she returned to the present. The archeologist gazed at the floor with an anxious glint in her brown eyes. "That's why I'm worried. What if Sanji-kun's-"

"Dartbrow's fine." Zoro cut her off. Robin's head perked and she turned to the calm swordsman before her. Meanwhile, Zoro wasn't actually looking at her. Instead, he was staring at the ceiling with a glazed look on his face. But, his serious facade went down when the swordsman let out a yawn. "I'm sure he is."

Robin resisted the urge to giggle at the first mate. Sometimes, she wondered if this laid-back Zoro was the same person who defeated the fearsome Pica. "How do you know?" Robin questioned.

"I don't." Zoro shrugged. "It's a gut feeling."

 _Of course it is_ , Robin thought. But her smile faltered when she remembered the current situation again. If this was anything like Enies Lobby, then- "There's a chance that he won't come back."

"So?"

Robin was momentarily surprised at the indifference in Zoro's voice. "Zoro-kun, we have to be prepared for-"

"Luffy doesn't care." Zoro deadpanned, silencing the young woman. "Well, it's more like he won't accept it."

The swordsman straightened his back and crossed his arms. He averted his gaze to the startled archeologist. "You said it yourself, this situation is similar to Enies Lobby. There was a chance that you won't come back," Zoro gestured to Robin's whole being before adding, "and yet here you are."

Robin blinked. She forgot all about that. After she had departed for Enies Lobby, Luffy and the others recklessly followed behind with another sea train. Even though Aqua Laguna was more fearsome than ever at the time, that didn't stop them from reaching Enies Lobby.

Robin still remembered Spandam's terrified face when he heard that Luffy had beaten one thousand marines on his own. And, she still remembered how Usopp (he claimed himself to be Sogeking at the time, but almost everyone saw through his disguise – minus Luffy and Chopper) set the World Government flag on fire. And she would never forget Luffy crying out to her, _"Tell me you want to live!"_

Robin smiled in reminiscence. She missed out one small detail about her family. If there's one thing that the Straw-Hats would never do, it's to leave a friend behind.

"Mr. Nosebleed will come back." Zoro reassured her. "He loves the sea too much to just leave it."

"You're right." Robin breathed out, feeling a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders. "I was worried for nothing."

"The only thing we need to worry about is Big Mom." Zoro stated as he stood up with his swords. "That hard-headed woman won't take no for an answer."

"Neither does our captain." Robin pointed out.

Zoro let out a small chuckle at the irony before he proceeded to head for the door. "Prepare yourself. It's going to be a rough road up ahead."

"It's always been rough." Robin expressed as she raised her eyebrow slightly at the swordsman's back.

Zoro halted in his walk and the green-haired pirate slowly shook his head.

"Nah, lately it's been a bit...pleasant." Zoro mumbled nostalgically as his mind wandered to the time a slender boy with a straw hat on his head approached him under the scroching hot sun. His lips curled in the slightest before he continued to walk out of the room.

"See you in the morning." Zoro said, leaving a confused Robin behind him. As the swordsman closed the door, Zoro noticed another person's aura on his right.

The figure was leaning against the wall and he had a small grin etched on his face. Zoro stood in his place and didn't make a move as he waited the figure to do so.

After a brief second, the figure looked up and Zoro could see two brown eyes staring at him under the rim of a straw hat. "Good job, Zoro." The figure said with a hint of satisfaction in his tone.

For the first time in that night, a genuine smile surfaced on Zoro's face. "Just doing my job, Captain."

He got a delighted laugh in return.

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 **That's a rap, folks! No, I didn't mean the music rap. You know, when people say that it's done or..? Ah whatever, just ask Mommy Google. Wait, the creators are both men. Um, Daddy Google!**

 **I love all of your reviews, by the way! Thanks! And keep the suggestions coming! I will continue writing, of course! So, Lyra out!**


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